2022 is the year of Nightwing — and it won't be the last

From his critically acclaimed and beloved solo series to his prominent role in the events of Dark Menace, Nightwing has had a huge impact on the DCU in 2022.

Warning: SPOILERS for Dark Crisis #7 and 2022's Nightwing issues

DC Comics' most important hero of 2022 is undoubtedly Nightwing - and 2022 is just the beginning. From his fan-favorite and critically acclaimed solo series to his prominent role in the events of Dark Crisis (and the finale), no other hero had such a huge impact on the DCU last year.

It's no wonder why DC chose Nightwing as its new leading man, since he's one of the publisher's oldest and most popular legacy characters. In Detective Comics #38 in 1940 - just a year after Batman's debut - Dick Grayson began his vigilante career as the first Robin. His history, like many of Batman's allies, is tragic: Bruce Wayne adopted Dick after his trapeze parents were killed; Dick witnessed them fall to their deaths during a circus show. But that tragedy didn't stop Dick Grayson from being a light in Batman's darkness. As Robin, he founded the original Teen Titans, and once he took over the mantle of Nightwing, he led the team to new heights, while also protecting Brudhaven, which was his departure from Batman. and a city of its own after Gotham. Dick even gets his own turn as Batman, revealing himself when he trains Damian Wayne to be his own version of Robin.

Despite his previous role as Batman, Dick Grayson truly became his own hero in 2022 as Nightwing. He kicked off his historic year and AndWorld design in Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas' Nightwing #88 wearing a brand new (well, kind of new) outfit. Since then, Dick's solo series have taken him to new heights: directing the newest Superman, fully committing to his relationship with Barbara Gordon, defeating his arch-nemesis Blockbuster (in Bludhaven) with the help of the lovable and heroic Nite-Mite). But his solo series was just the beginning - the finale of Dark Crisis saw Nightwing wrestle with the darkness within, and he finally rose to become the true heart of the DC Universe.

Nightwing Totally Deserves to Be DC's Big Star

Nightwing has long been a fan-favorite character, and it's gratifying to see him lead not only the Bat-Family, but the entire DC Universe. That's probably the only thing that makes sense, aside from being satisfying; Dick Grayson stepped up to mentor Jon Kent last year, helping run Teen Titans Academy, and then leading grief after Justice League's alleged "death" heroes. no one else has The charisma or skill of taking on such a role, and the fact that Nightwing was the first Robin — and thus one of the first legacy characters in superhero history — sweetened his promotion. Plus, Nightwing becomes the veritable King of Vampires in 2022; after that, taking on a leadership role in the central DCU should be a piece of cake.

Nightwing's Future Is the Brightest in the DCU

Last year was undoubtedly a big one for Nightwing, and 2023 will be equally landmark. The 100th issue of Nightwing is about to be published, and soon Dick Grayson's city will become the new center of the Titans. While DC Comics readers don't yet know what's in store for Wing 2023, it's sure to be exciting, with Dick Grayson leaping to new heights once again.

Next post: Nightwing isn't the final Robin, and here's a fact that objectively proves it